TradePass — EPA 608 Exam Prep

A phone-first practice exam app that helps trade students and apprentices pass their certification tests — starting with the EPA Section 608 (HVAC refrigerant certification).

Built to the spec in trade-exam-app-build-prompt.md, as a zero-dependency static web app: no framework, no build step, no server, no monthly costs. Host it free on GitHub Pages and it runs on any phone browser.

Content rule (non-negotiable): every question in this repo is ORIGINAL, written from the public EPA 608 topic outline and general trade coursework. Never copy real exam questions or another company's question bank.

What's in v1

Feature	Where
Question bank by topic (Core, Type I, II, III)	js/questions-*.js — 122 original questions, each with a plain-English explanation
Instant Feedback study mode	tap a section card or "Quick 10 Questions"
Timed Mock Exam (25 questions, 35 min, 70% pass line — real exam format)	"Mock Exam" button
Progress tracker (per-topic %, weak/moderate/strong, home-screen readiness score)	"My Progress"
Missed Questions Deck (auto-collects wrong answers, drops them after 2 correct in a row)	"Review My Misses"
Free/paid gate (50 free questions + 1 free mock; $24 one-time unlocks everything)	"Unlock Full Bank"
Account & Settings (edit name/email, plan status, Dark/Light/Auto theme, reset, sign out)	gear icon on Home

Answer options are re-shuffled every time a question is served, so users learn the material, not the letter positions.

Nothing else is in v1 on purpose. If a feature isn't in section 2 of the spec, it doesn't get built.

Run it

Open index.html in a browser. That's it — no install, no server.

Deploy free: push this repo to GitHub → repo Settings → Pages → deploy from the main branch. Your app is live at https://<you>.github.io/tradepass-app/. Share that link with classmates.

All user data (progress, misses, unlock status) is stored in localStorage on the user's device. There is no backend to pay for or break.

Installable + offline (PWA): the app ships a manifest and service worker (manifest.webmanifest, sw.js), so users can install it from the browser — iPhone: Safari Share → Add to Home Screen; Android: Chrome menu → Add to Home screen / Install app; PC: install icon in Chrome/Edge address bar — and keep studying with no signal. Caching is network-first: online users always get the newest questions; offline users get the last version they loaded. Bump CACHE in sw.js only if you ever need to force-expire old caches.

Before you launch — 3 things to change

All three are at the top of js/app.js in CONFIG:

1. gumroadUrl — create a free Gumroad product ("TradePass EPA 608 Full Bank – $24") and paste your checkout link.
2. unlockCodes — change "TRADEPASS-608" to a code of your own. Put the code in the Gumroad receipt/content so buyers get it instantly. You can add more codes later (e.g., one per month, or one per school for B2B class deals) and retire old ones.
3. Verify the name — check that "TradePass" is available before launch (spec section 1).

Honest note on the paywall: with no server, the unlock code is checked in the browser — a determined nerd could bypass it. For a $24 study tool this is the standard v1 trade-off; every no-code tool (including the Glide path in the spec) has an equivalent hole. Upgrade to real license verification (Gumroad License API + a tiny serverless function) once sales justify it.

Growing the question bank (the actual job)

Target from the spec: 500 questions before charging money. Current count: 122 (50 free).

1. Write new questions in the matching js/questions-*.js file, copying the object format. Keep them original, explanation included, 4 options, and vary which option is correct.

2. Run the validator/exporter:

   node tools/export-csv.mjs
   

   It checks every question (unique IDs, 4 options, valid answer, explanation present) and rewrites data/questions.csv.

3. Commit. Done — the app picks the new questions up automatically.

The Google Sheets / Glide path

The spec's original build path (Glide + Google Sheets) is still fully supported: data/questions.csv is the question bank in the exact Questions-tab schema from spec section 3 (QuestionID, Section, Topic, QuestionText, OptionA–D, CorrectAnswer, Explanation, Difficulty, FreeTier). Import it into a Google Sheet and follow spec section 5 to build in Glide instead of (or alongside) this web app.

Repo layout

index.html                        app shell
css/app.css                       mobile-first styles
js/questions-core.js              Core question bank (ozone, CAA, 3 R's, safety…)
js/questions-type1.js             Type I (small appliances)
js/questions-type2.js             Type II (high-pressure)
js/questions-type3.js             Type III (low-pressure chillers)
js/data.js                        bank merge + integrity checks
js/app.js                         all app logic + CONFIG (edit before launch)
data/questions.csv                bank export in the spec's Google Sheets schema
tools/export-csv.mjs              validator + CSV exporter
trade-exam-app-build-prompt.md    the master spec — single source of truth

What v1 success looks like (from the spec)

A stranger can sign in, answer free questions with explanations, take one mock exam, see their score against the 70% pass line, hit the paywall, pay $24 on Gumroad, and get full access within a day. Nothing more.

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TradePass is independent study material based on the publicly available EPA Section 608 topic outline. Not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the EPA or any exam provider.